Indonesian President reaffirms harsh measure against drug dealers

By APD writer Maverick

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JAKARTA, Oct. 3 (APD)** — Indonesian President Joko Widodo reaffirmed his order for the authorities to take firm measure against drug dealers retaliating during the arrest, including shoot on the scene.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo

The president’s affirmation was related to his concern on rampant drug abuse cases that made it part of most serious problems faced by the country at present.

“The standard operation procedure (SOP) is clear for the police and members of BNN (national anti-drug agency). Should they retaliate and endanger others around, there should be no tolerance. Be firm, we must convey it (the message) to them,” President Widodo said on the sidelines of a session to declare national action plan to tackle illegal drugs and drug abuse problems here on Tuesday.

The president initially issued the stern measure against drug dealers in July shorty after police’s dismantling on record-breaking illegal drug smuggling attempt in Banten province carried out by an international drug ring.

Police killed the ring leader, a Taiwanese man, as he retaliated when he and his gang caught red handed as they tried to smuggle 1 ton of crystal methamphetamine from a seaport in the province.

“We must not underestimate everything related to drug abuse and misuse of illegal drugs,” the president pointed out.

He added that rampant drug abuse and illegal drugs misuse at present would threaten the sustainability of Indonesia’s youths in the future. Drug abuse has affected millions of Indonesian youths at present, he added.

He ordered police, BNN, ministries and agencies dealing with the issue to intensify their synergy so as to gain effective moves in eradicating drug abuse among the society, among others by reducing bureaucracy constraints among those institutions.

`Rights group have raised their concerns over Indonesian president’s shoot on the scene order against drug dealers, saying that it may lead to arbitrary killing against those identified as drug dealers like the one occurred in the Philippines at present.

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They said that 80 drug dealers have been shot dead during police’s anti-drug operation from January to September this year, far higher than 16 recorded throughout last year.

President Widodo has declared war against drug abuse since he ascended to power in 2014. Dozens of domestic and foreign drug dealers have been executed in several locations in the country after they undergone legal proceeding over their cases in Indonesian civil courts.

BNN estimated that drug abuse has affected 4 million ones between 10 to 58 years old, or 2.18 percent of the population across the country at present, cost over 63 trillion rupiah (about 4.6 billion U.S. Dollars) in the expenses to acquire illegal drugs and expenditure in the rehabilitation process for the drug addicts.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)